General Information

The placement of a successful bid at a Department of the Treasury online auction establishes a legally binding contract between the successful bidder and the Government. An e-mail notice sent to the high bidder establishes the contract, which is subject to final acceptance by the Government. This contract is bound by these Terms and Conditions, any Special Terms and Conditions published by the Contractor for the specific auction, 19CFR Customs Duties Part 162 and all other Federal regulations governing contracts for the purchase of Government property, which may be found at http://www.acquisition.gov The successful bidder is legally bound to pay for property awarded in accordance with his/her bid.

Eligibility of Bidders

The Bidder warrants that he/she is not:

(a) under 18 years of age;

(b) an employee of any department or agency of the Federal Government prohibited by the regulations of that agency from purchasing property sold hereunder;

(c) an agent or immediate member of the household of the employee in (b), above;

(d) the contractor, subcontractor or vendor, or their agent who has access to information concerning the property to be sold at U.S. Department of the Treasury auctions that is not generally available to the public;

(e) presently debarred or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any Federal agency in accordance with 41 CFR 101-45.6; or

(f) the party, or agent of the party(s), from whom the property was seized.

The contractor's subcontractor may not act as agent for a third party in purchasing Department of the Treasury Real Property that is or has been in their custody or control. For breach of this warranty, the Government shall have the right to cancel the contract without liability.

Registration

If you are a new bidder, please create an account. Go to "Login" and click on either "Sign up now" (desktop) or "Create Account" (mobile device). Fill out the proper information (must have an approved credit card) and click on "Register." Credit cards are required during registration to verify your identity only. U.S. Treasury auctions do not accept credit cards as a form of payment for deposits. The credit card will be charged $1.00 for this process. This is an authorization only and the amount is released after verification. Bidders will need to accept the Terms & Conditions in order to establish an account.

Deposit

A $1,000 bid deposit is required to bid. U.S. funds only. Persons wishing to participate in the bidding process of the sale are required to register online for each specific auction you are interested. To complete the registration process, download the Bid Deposit Form and mail with the cashier's check deposit. Once the deposit is received, the bidder will be sent an email notification confirming they are approved to bid. If you have downloaded the CWS Auctions App, you will also receive an approval text alert on your mobile device.

Deposits must be in the form of a cashier's check and made payable to CWS Marketing Group, Inc. The completed Bid Deposit Form and deposit should be mailed to: CWS, 10611 Balls Ford Road, Suite 140, Manassas VA, 20109, attn: E. Connolly. The deposit is due no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on January 30, 2018.

The successful bidder's deposit will be retained as the initial payment for the property. Cashier's checks payable to the bidder's name CANNOT be accepted. Unsuccessful deposit checks will be returned within 5 business days.

The registrant agrees that, should the registrant be the successful bidder of a property lot, the following information regarding the transaction shall be published on the U.S. Department of the Treasury auction website: (1) the registered bidder's name; (2) the property's address; and (3) the purchase price of the property. Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 (5 U.S.C. 552 (2000).

Inspection of Property

The bidder is invited, urged, and cautioned to inspect the property prior to submitting a bid. Failure to inspect property shall not constitute cause for cancellation of sale. Property will be available for inspection at the times specified by the Contractor. Absolutely no access to property is allowed without prior Contractor authorization. At their own expense, potential bidders may have property inspectors examine the property during regularly scheduled open houses.

Oral Statements and Modifications

Changes may be made on the day of the sale to the property status or descriptions on the auction site. These changes take precedence over previous sales flyer or auction site information pertinent to that property, but do not alter in any way the basic Terms and Conditions of sale. Further, no interpretation of any provision of the sales contract, including applicable performance requirements, shall be binding on the Government unless furnished to and agreed upon, in writing, by the Contracting Officer or his/her designated representative.

Real Property Descriptions

The bidder understands and agrees that the property is offered, purchased, and accepted by the buyer "AS IS" and "WITH ALL FAULTS." The Government and its agent make no warranties or guarantees whatsoever whether written, oral, or implied as to quality, condition, or habitability.

All information contained in the sales flyer and auction site was derived from sources believed to be correct, but there is no guarantee. Buyer acknowledges that he/she relied entirely on his/her own information, judgment, and inspection of the property.

If a legal misrepresentation is determined before the final closing on the property, the Government reserves the right to cancel the sale and refund any earnest/deposit money paid.

Lead-Based Paint (for properties built before 1978)

Disclosure of Information on Lead-Based Paint and Lead-Based Paint Hazards and the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home” may be obtained by calling 1-800-424-LEAD or visiting http://www.epa.gov/lead. Buyer acknowledges responsibility for all costs associated with the abatement and remediation of any disclosed or potential hazards associated with the property.

Offering of Property for Auction and Submission of Bids

The placement of a successful bid at a Department of the Treasury online auction establishes a legally binding contract between the successful bidder and the Government and is subject to final acceptance by the Government. Once the successful high bid is established a final written sales contract will be prepared to include the individual information of the high bidder along with the high bid amount. A contract may also be conditionally established with the recognized back-up bidder for execution if the high bidder defaults for any reason or is rejected by the Government.

At the conclusion of bidding, an e-mail will be sent to the successful bidder confirming the bid amount. The successful bidder must acknowledge receipt of notice and supply information requested to validate the bid acceptance within 24 hours of the time the notice was sent. This acknowledgement confirms the price offered by the bidder and is subject to final acceptance by the Government. A contract document will be sent to the successful bidder for signature. The contract must be returned to CWS within 48 hours of receipt. At this time the contract will be presented to the Government and is subject to their final acceptance. The Government may withdraw the property at any time before the sales contract is accepted. During this process the successful bidder may not withdraw their bid at any time. Unilateral conditions asserted by any bidder will not be accepted.

The high bidder shall deliver ten percent (10%) of the Purchase Price less the initial money deposit, whichever is greater, to CWS by cashier's/certified check, payable to CWS Marketing Group, Inc or by bank wire transfer. Within three business days, should the high bidder fail to deliver the money, Seller shall have all rights and remedies provided in the Terms of Sale, including the right to retain the initial money deposit and any other deposits or payments made by the high bidder as liquidated damages.

The successful bidder's deposit(s) will be retained as the initial payment for the property. Personal or business checks, bank letters, or letters of credit will not be accepted. Cashier's checks made payable to the bidder's name CANNOT be accepted. The bidder, who placed the bid accepted by the Government, is legally bound to pay for property awarded to him/her in accordance with the successful bid. Payment of the full purchase price must be made within the time specified on the auction site.

Placing a Maximum Bid: Please be aware that all bids placed are maximum bids. The website will enter the next bid increment and enter your bid as a maximum bid. The website will bid on your behalf up to your set maximum bid by the preset bid increment. Example: The current bid is $1000 and the bidder enters a maximum bid of $5000 with a bid increment of $100. The system will bid one increment ($1100) until the bidder's "Maximum Bid" is exceeded. If the maximum bid is exceeded, the bidder will be notified by email or text (mobile devices) they've been outbid. Bidders may increase the bid but not lower it. In the case of a tie bid, precedence is given to the earliest bid.

Auction Soft Close: All auctions end with a "Soft Close." A "Soft Close" means if any bid is placed within the last 10 minutes of the close of the auction, the bid will automatically extend the closing time an additional 10 minutes. This feature protects bidders from being outbid without the opportunity to be notified and place another bid before the close of the auction.

Auction End and Bid Approvals: When the auction closes, the page will display either SOLD or ENDED. SOLD indicates the reserve (if there is a reserve) was met and establishes the high bid. Successful bidders will be notified via email of their status as the winning bidder and will be bound by the payment terms as found in the "Offering of Property for Auction and Submission of Bids" paragraph. ENDED indicates the final bid did not meet the reserve. In this case, CWS will provide the high bid to the Government for consideration. If the Government accepts the high bid, the bidder will be notified. NOTE: CWS accepts no responsibility for loss of connectivity, technical difficulties, or any other circumstances beyond our control.

Back-Up Bidder: The back-up bidder's deposit will be mailed within three (3) business days after receiving the total deposit from the high bidder. In the event money is not received from the high bidder within the time period specified, the back-up bidder will become the high bidder at the Purchase Price stated in the back-up bid contract. The back-up bidder is obligated to transmit money as stated above within three (3) business days of notification. The foregoing liquidated damages provision shall apply to the back-up bidder.

Consideration of Bids

The Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids, and to waive any technical defects in bids. Property is sold with a minimum reserve price unless the property is, in explicit terms, offered without a minimum reserve price. If the minimum reserve price is not achieved, the Government may withdraw the property at any time before the sales contract is executed.

Financing

The buyer is responsible for obtaining his or her own financing arrangements as required. The Government does not provide financing for the purchase of any property offered under these Terms and Conditions. Bidders are strongly recommended to investigate and secure financing arrangements, if required, prior to attendance at a public offering.

Failure to obtain financing during the closing process does not relieve the buyer of his/her legal responsibility and obligation for completion of the contract. Failure to comply with all provisions of the sales contract regarding closing may result in termination of the contract because of buyer's default and may result in the forfeiture of any earnest/deposit funds.

Closing

Closing will be held within 30 calendar days of the date the Government signs the sales contract accepting the Buyer's offer. Closing may be held sooner, with mutual agreement of Buyer and Seller. Only the Seller may, at its discretion, exceed closing beyond 30 calendar days. Closing costs including, without limitation, transfer taxes, documentary stamps, recording fees, and escrow fees will be paid by the Buyer and Seller in accordance with the customs of the county in which the property is located. In the event Buyer desires title insurance, it will be at the Buyer's expense.

Government Deed

Clear Title will be transferred via a Government deed. Liens and other encumbrances will be paid by the Government. Title insurance is available at Buyer’s expense.

Defaults

Failure to make required deposit or final payments and/or comply with the time frames specified on the website shall be deemed default of the high bidder and may result in cancellation of the contract and forfeiture of any rights, title, and interest the Buyer may have acquired. In that case, title of the property will remain with the Government and will result in the forfeiture of the deposit. If the default occurs because of failure to make the required deposit, the buyer shall be liable to the Government for liquidated damages in the amount of that deposit.

Property Offered for Sale by IRS-CI, ICE, or Secret Service

In accordance with 18 USC Section 1963(f) and 21 USC Section 853(h) of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 and Department of the Treasury Policy, forfeited (real) property will not be sold to the defendant or person(s) acting as his/her agent. A real property sales contract may be cancelled by the Government in compliance with the above statutes or policy.